Hop-separator.



E. CL HORST.

HUP SEPARATOE,

uPLwATm-N mman MAY 2 E. c. HORST. HOP SBPABATOR.

APPLICATION FILED HAY 2, 1914.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

.INVENTOR Zm'Z Clemens Hij/15' Z W'ITNESSES:

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EMIL CLEMENS HORST, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO E. CLEMENS HORST CO., OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION F NEW JERSEY.

. HOP-SEPABA'I'OB.

A',Sjroet'iilcstion ofLetters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1915.

Appnmm Aiea my 2, 1914. L sami No. asslasa.

To all lwhom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, EMIL CLEMnNs HoRsT, :af citizen ofthe United States, residing in -the city and county lof lSan Francisco and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements inl Hpp-Separators, of `which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hop separators employing upwardly traveling endless separating belts; and the objects of the invention-are first, to provide a Isimple,substan tial, easily regulated` apparatus in which the hops'may be quickly separated from the Aleaves and'trash with which they are commingled after being stripped from the vines; second, to provide an adjustable defiecting plate between the separator and the source of supply by which a portion of the hops may be deflected out of reach of the separatfing apparatus, and third, a plurality of tckleisoperable in connection with the sep- .a'ratorv to '-nrevent any hops from passing ethroiigh the'separator'with the leaves.'

The invention further consists ot the parts and theconstruction1and combination of fparts, as hereinafter =more fully Y described -endclaimed", having reference to the accompanving drawings in which- IvFigure' 1 is a front viewof the separator. .Fig. 2 'is a-vertica1 cross section on line .f-X-X, Fig. 1.

Referring to 'the drawings, Afindicatesin :general a suitable form of frame in which is -journaled as at 2 and 3= a pair-'of pulleys 4 and 5 carrying an endlesslbelt 6, adapted to travel upwardly in the direction 0f arrow a. lPower'-mav be transmitted to yrevolve the Apulleys with connected belt through any suitable transmission not here shown. The .belt maybe constructed in any suitable manner', butpreferably of material which will 'cause the leaves to adhere to the surface. of fsame. The belt is preferablv placed on an incline approximate to that shown in Fig. 2. and running` parallel with the upper and iofwer ends of same are a pair of convever belts@ and 8. Conveyer belt 7 is provided :Eorlthe purpose of removing the clean hops mounted thatare separated from the leaves and other trash, while belt 8 is-provided .for the purpose of carrying. away the leaves, stems and like material.

B indicates a hopper suitably mounted in frame -A Ca deflecting plate, adjustably below the opening 9 of. the hopper, and 10 and 11 'indicate a pair of bars which extend across the face of the separator belt 6. The ydeliecting plate C is carried by .a shaft 12, supportedin frame A, and suitable means,|as set-screws' 13, arek provided for locking plate C in the position to which it may have ibeen adjusted. 'Barsf lzand- 11 will hereinafter be known as the ,-upper and lower tickler bars, respectively.

Suitably secured to the frontface-of the upper bars 10, as at 14, are a ynumber. of downwardly extending spring fingers 15, in staggered. reiationship to each other. yThe space formed betweenlthe lower end of the spring fingers and the surface of the separator' belt is only -fsufiicient .to permit the 'leaves and stemsy tolpass by, but is at the same time too small to permit any hops to pass by ywhich mayhave adhered to the belt. The

spring fingers extend clear across the upper har,5 and the spacingbetweenr the fingers is so small that no hops couldpass through.

yrvSuitably.secured.to the Elower face of the lower bar-11V isa :rod 16, upon which are .hung a variableunumber of .downwardly projecting.lingers 17. The fingers 17 are -ireeto swing outwardly in the'direction of .arrow b,1but are .locked against.I movement :1n-'the opposite direction. `This is 'accomplished by forming hook-like projections 18 on thel upper ends of the fingers; these per- Amit the fingers to swing outwardly in the direction of arrow b,but will engage the lower surface of the bar and lock the fingers against movement when pressure is brought to bear in the vopposite direction. The function and' operation of fingers 17, together i with the separator belt and other connecting mechanism will be as follows: Hops are deliver-edv to the hopper B by suitable vmeans `as a separating cylinder, indicated in dotted lines, as at 19. The hops will then drop through the hopper, and will here impinge on plate C. A great portion of the clean hops will be bound outwardly to clear the belt in the manner indicated by c, and will thus reach the clean hop-conveyer 7. In practice, the greater portion of the ho s will follow the path of deflection indicated y the outer arrow c, and will jump direct into conveyer 7, and need no further treatment by way of separation. This is of great importance, as it relieves the separator belt 6 from handling all the hops; orin other words, prevents its becoming overloade The remainder of the hops which do not reach the conveyer 7, but which are deposited on the surface of the separator belt will, as a rule, run down the incline of the' belt and finally vdeposit in conveyer 7, while the leaves and stems and other trash will adhere to the surface of the belt and finally deposit on conveyer belt 8. Any hops which might have a tendency to adhere to the surface of the belt, and which might be lost by passing over with the leaves are in this instance, prevented from doing so by the spring fingers 15. The impact of the hops against these fingers will cause them to partly yield and move sufficiently to finally kick the hop back and down the incline of the belt. The momentum given the hop by the spring fingers is generally sufficient to send it rolling down the incline pass under the pivoted fingers 17, and finally deposit on belt 7. Quite a number of hops will deposit on that portion of the separator belt which extends below bar 11. Any of these hops which tend to adhere to the belt will be caught by the fingers 17. and be kicked back. The hops are thus positively prevented from passing over with the leaves, and a clean and perfect separation is secured.

The adjustable feature of the deflecting plate C permits this to be placed at an angle which proves most efficient. The double set of fingers 15-17 positively prevents the escape of any hops, and the pivotal mounting of the lower set permits them to swing in the direction of arrow b. to allow the hops kicked back by fingers 15 to pass into conveyer 7. The material o'f which fingers 15 -and 17 are constructed is preferably light spring steel. The material and finish of the other parts of the apparatus are otherwise such as the judgment and experience of the manufacturer may dictate.

I wish it understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims. and that I do not wish to limit myself to the specific design and construction here shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hop separator, the combination with an inclined, upwardly traveling, endless belt, of a delivering hopper, and a deflectino' plate interposed between the u per end of? the belt and the hopper, and ad ustable to cause the hops to clear'the elt, allowing the leaves and trash to fall upon the belt.

2. In a hop separator, an inclined, endless, upwardly traveling belt, a hopper through which the hops are delivered on the inclined belt, a defiecting plate interposed between the hopper and the inclined belt, and means for adjusting the angle of the deflecting plate.

3. In a hop separator, an inclined, endless, i

upwardly traveling belt, a hopper through which the hops are delivered on the inclined belt, a deecting plate interposed between the hopper and the inclined belt, and a plurality of ticklers mounted above the belt substantially vas described.

4. In a hop separator, an inclined, endless, upwardly traveling belt, a hopper through which the hops are delivered on the inclined belt, a defiecting plate interposed between the hopper and the inclined belt, means for adjusting the angle of the deflecting plate, and a plurality of ticklers mounted above in juxtaposition to the belt substantially as described.

5. In a hop separator, an inclined, endless, upwardly traveling belt, means for delivering hops to the surface of the belt, a bar mounted above the belt, spring fingers pivotally hung from the bar, and means for restraining the movement of the fingers in one zdirection.

6. In a hop separator. an inclined, endless, upwardly traveling belt, a hopper through which the hops are delivered on the 1nclined belt, a deflecting plate interposed between the hopper and the inclined belt, means for adjusting the angle of the deflecting plate, upper and lower tickler bars mounted above the belt and across the path of travel of same, spring fingers secured to the upper bar, and spring fingers pivotally mounted on the lower bar.

7. In a hop separator. an inclined, endless, upwardly traveling belt. a hopper through which the hops are delivered on the inclined belt. a deflecting plate interposed between the hopper and the inclined belt, means for adjusting the angle of the deflecting plate, upper and lower tickler bars mounted above the belt and across the path of travel of same, spring fingers secured to the upper bar, spring fingers pivotally mounted on the lower bar, and means for restraining the movement of said fingers in one direction.

8. In a hop separator, an inclined, endless,

upwardly traveling belt, a hopper through which the hops are delivered on the inclined belt, a deflecting plate interposed between the hopper and the inclined belt, means for adjusting the angle of the deflecting plate, upper and lower tickler bars mounted above the belt and across the path of travel olf same, spring fingers secured to the upper bar, spring lingers pivotally mounted on the lower bar, means for restraining the movement of said fingers in one direction, and a pair of conveyer belts running parallel ,with the inclined belt substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto set 15 my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EMIL CLEMYNS HORST.

Witnesses JOHN H. HERRING, IRVINE SINNETT. 

